A s we wrote in our recommendation of Bill Truex prior to the Republican primary, his resume is a blueprint for civic leadership: Englewood Cape-Haze Chamber of Commerce president, Charlotte County Board of Zoning Appeals member, Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor, Englewood Little League board member, Englewood Pop Warner board member, past president of the local building industry association, vice chair of the Florida Homebuilders Association, Habitat for Humanity partner.

His would be an especially effective voice for economic development, a weakness for the current board that was highlighted by its ham-handed handling of the proposed business incubator in Punta Gorda. Truex has pledged to be an aggressive proponent of development ideas and has made a strong case that he has the ability to communicate the consequences of inaction. He said he will hold monthly citizen outreach meetings around the county — at night so more people can attend — and establish an email-based bulletin board to both spread information and elicit feedback.